A round-up of today's other stories in brief.
Reformist Greek PM to seek elections
ATHENS -Greek prime minister Costas Karamanlis will request snap elections for September 16th when he meets the president today, to push forward economic and constitutional reforms with a new mandate, the government said yesterday.
Government spokesman Theodore Rousopoulos said Mr Karamanlis was determined to continue with economic and social reforms that have won praise from Brussels but have damaged the government's popularity at home. - (Reuters)
Nuclear deal row splits parliament
NEW DELHI -Opponents of a historic nuclear energy deal between India and the United States disrupted the Indian parliament yesterday, saying the government had misled the chambers on the details of the agreement.
Unruly MPs shouted slogans against prime minister Manmohan Singh and some sought his resignation for "misleading" parliament, forcing both the upper and lower houses to be adjourned for the day. - (Reuters)
Forest fire ruins homes in Athens
ATHENS -A forest fire fanned by gale force winds swept across the northern outskirts of Athens yesterday, destroying dozens of homes, but firefighters confined it to woodland away from residential areas, officials said.
The blaze forced hundreds of residents in the city's affluent northern suburbs to flee and triggered a series of power cuts that lasted for hours.
At least 10 people were taken to hospital with breathing problems, while one firefighter was also injured. - (Reuters)
Troops, gangsters clash in Nigeria
PORT HARCOURT -Nigerian troops fought gun battles with gangsters in the oil city of Port Harcourt yesterday, killing several people, army and private security sources said.
The army used rockets and machine guns in dawn raids on criminal hideouts after six days of street battles between rival gangs last week. The gangs responded by invading five districts across the city, including the area around the state government headquarters. - (Reuters)
Erdogan's cabinet not approved
ANKARA -Turkey's outgoing president declined to approve prime minister Tayyip Erdogan's new cabinet line-up yesterday, saying the premier should submit the list to the next head of state instead.
Mr Erdogan, who had been expected to unveil a cabinet dominated by economic reformers, said Ahmet Necdet Sezer's attitude in their meeting was "very positive" and that his move should be seen not as a snub but as a courtesy towards his successor. - (Reuters)
Flooded N Korea to receive aid
SEOUL -North Korea's neighbours and international aid agencies yesterday tried to help the impoverished country cope with floods that have decimated large swaths of farmland, endangering citizens already struggling with food shortages.
The North Korean government granted the World Food Programme permission to send four emergency assessment teams to areas struck by the disaster spawned by a week of heavy storms.
North Korea's state media said yesterday that some 46,580 homes had been flooded or destroyed, displacing more than 300,000 people.
North Korean officials earlier told international aid agencies that at least 200 people were dead or missing. - (AP)